This started out with some minor birdcage rust (thankfully just surface rust) that in turn de-laminated and cracked the original windshield on the car. The rust was at the bottom passenger side, and was easily fixed once the original windshield was removed.

While the windshield was out, I removed and refurbished the dash pad, and while all the trim is off, decided it was time to do some weatherstripping.

Not so fast, however.

After taking care of the birdcage rust, I had a glass company come out and install a replacement windshield. In trying to put the trim back, I noticed problems getting the side trim to fit. That is the subject of another post, the trim could be carefully bent to fit. Then, here the plot thickens, I noticed the top windshield outer trim piece will not go back on the car without leaving either a large gap between the trim and glass, or almost a quarter inch of exposed T top trim metal above the windshield trim piece. There is no way to bend or modify that curved top trim piece to correct this, the windshield is simply too low in the birdcage.

This, I was told, is because the windshield itself is both slightly thinner than the original (according to the glass people) and the urethane bead is shallower than the butyl material originally used at the factory.

The glass shop owner explained that when the car was built, the general idea was that someone trapped in a car should be able to kick out the windshield if necessary in order to escape the vehicle. A kind of double sided butyl material was used to hold the windshield in place. Later federal law changed, and in newer cars urethane is used to bond the windshield in and also provide some structural rigidity (unibody cars). The Urethane I was told "when properly installed" is not as thick as the old butyl, and the windshield sits lower in the birdcage. Not just on Corvettes but on any car from that period.

My Corvette shop says "bull****" they didn't install the windshield correctly. That shop partners with a glass company and when they replace a windshield, they put a thicker bead of urethane on, test mount the windshield trim, and press the glass down to the correct height for the trim to line up and fit properly. The people who installed my current windshield say no, you can't put a real thick bead of urethane as the material consistency won't allow that - something that sounds pretty suspect to me.

After considerable but civilized back and forth, the glass guy agreed that if the Corvette shop said the windshield was installed wrong, they (glass people) would cut the windshield out, and refund my money.

Which is where I am now, I've got to call the guys who put the windshield in too shallow and have them remove it and refund my $. I think they will follow through on this, but we'll see once they actually have the request.

Then, I've got to get the next windshield installed correctly so the trim actually fits properly, like it did previously. Never easy.

This is not over yet, but I wrote all this now hoping to save someone else this hassle.

 

For what it is worth,

My wife and I installed new glass in my 68, new glass is thinner and I think the curvature is slightly different. I used PGW glass, bought off ebay. I also used the butyl tape, 3M window weld, 3/8, that you can buy from local car parts store.

So, after much research, a couple of small welded in patches, and POR 15, I used the primer and butyl tape to install. I also used rubber spacers to set the height and bought extra spacers if needed to put between the glass and pinchweld.

New installations by a glass company has to use the urethane glue as you say.

My glass came out great except both upper corners where the side trim and top curved trim meet have a gap between the glass and trim of about 1/4". As I understand it, this is a very common problem with replacement glass. You could maybe fill in the gap with aluminum colored chaulking or I just chose to leave mine alone as it is not very noticeable.

Hope this might help. Next Corvette show, check out other C3's with replacement glass for reference.

 

Thanks, I'm in the process of getting the glass people who installed the windshield to live up to their commitment to come and remove it and refund my money. At that point, assuming they follow through, I'm going to likely go your route.

 

I had my windshield replaced by a independent glass shop who was really into classic cars. After much research I told him what I was looking for and how it needed to fit. He was more than accommodating and his skill level was outstanding and it looks great. He cuts the tip of the urethane tube a certain way that allows a very tall but narrow bead then settles it down to where it needs to be. I am more than satisfied.

Mike

 

Red-

The glass shop blew the installation and if I were you I'd make them remove the glass and install it this time with spacers so the windshield sits correctly in the car.

The glass is thinner than the original glass... and possibly the glass sunk into the urethane to make the problem even worse.

There are ways to make sure this doesn't happen and to learn more about this go read this thread.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...indshield.html

Willcox

 

Thanks all...latest is that the glass shop that botched the install has agreed to come and remove the windshield and refund my money. We will part company after that.

I think the idea about spacers makes great sense and wonder why the heck the installation guys didn't do this, and why I didn't think to do it. Live and learn I guess.

The next installation will be done by first placing spacers and determining that all the trim fits properly, and then bonding in the windshield.

Meanwhile, a few other sins might get corrected while the windshield is back out...

When I replaced the dash pad (removed and refurbished while the first windshield was out) I replaced a faulty headlight switch. Once the windshield was installed (albeit incorrectly) I went for a long drive and noticed my high beams now flicker. I understand this is a switch problem, overheating and tripping a breaker in the switch. If this is correct I guess I'll have to get a better headlight switch before completely reassembling the car. Sigh.

Once that is done, I'm going to have to get under the hood and replace the apparently leaking headlight actuators. The lights come up but very very slowly. They go down quick, but up is a twenty second or more thing.

I also bought a console trim plate off ebay to replace the one the prior owner put a large hole in for mounting some kind of customer alarm switch. So, that will get fixed.

I had the door panels off to dye the carpet inserts, which turned out great, and now I may have to get moisture barriers to replace the originals, that simply fell apart in pieces when I pulled the panels off.

Thanks again for the suggestions on the windshield, especially the spacers. Not sure why guys who do this for a living didn't think of it, but the next people who come to install the windshield will, guaranteed.

 

BTW, I could not get the Facebook link to work on the Wilcox post...can you help with that? Thanks

 

I think you have to like the page to view the pictures. Once you get to the f/b page and like it click on photos, then albums and you'll find it.

Willcox

 

Just to close this out, the windshield was removed, and a different shop installed a new one. And did a much better job. The trim along the sides fits perfectly, the trim along the top does not. I'm not sure in retrospect that it ever did, I didn't take pictures before removing it, and it seems from the curve of the trim piece and the location of the clips, it could never have fit tight against the glass and still not left a gap above along the T roof line. And, as someone noted elsewhere, the replacement windshield might not be exactly the same curvature on the ends as the original. Still, I'm happy the guy who did the work did everything humanly possible to install it and get all the fits as best as they could be.

I looked at the trim around the back glass, never removed since installed at the factory as far as I can tell, and there are some fairly sizeable gaps in places as well. So, while I'd prefer perfection on the front, I'm not sure it ever existed to begin with.

While prepping the car for the second windshield installation, I replaced the headlight switch with a replacement the vendor fed-exed to me, since the first one I purchased flickered the high beams. So far, so good.

Now, on to dealing with what might be a rear seal leak on the manual transmission...